The United States is witnessing a drastic redefinition of the policies and practices associated with “public education.” Discussions around the future of public education are strong on passion but short on actual evidence. We are establishing an open venue- a true public forum to debate controversial and consequential policy issues that will shape American’s future, and welcome you to the conversation.

Friday, October 27, 2006

From a former colleague, Krista Simons, whom we all HATED to lose, now at New Mexico State:

Greetings from New Mexico! I've been thinking about an idea that needs researching, and might be of interest to you. I've kept up with your blog ever since leaving Purdue since I find the ideas you post rather interesting, and it helps me feel connected to my former institution. Anyway, one of my students mentioned to me not too long ago that she kept a "super-secret blog" during her first (and only) year of teaching. She sounded so embittered that I couldn't resist doing a little investigation, and I turned up with her blog here: http://sagacious-teacher.blogspot.com/. You can almost see the desperation and helplessness she feels as she navigates her year that involves teaching with few resources, unexpected politics with administration, difficult kids, etc. (incidentally, she taught in a rural town that is one town over from the one where I grew up; the similarities are uncanny). In her blog, she references another similar blog: http://hategrade.blogspot.com/2006/05/respite.html. Anyway, it strikes me that through these "Super Secret" blogs, we are gaining a window in the successes, failures, strategies, theories, and coping mechanisms of teachers (drinking, smoking, and cursing included). I would love to scour the web for more of these teacher blogs - it's rich data! Unfortunately, it doesn't fit in my "Research Scheme." But it might fit in yours (or perhaps one of your students...?). If nothing else, it might make for some rich classroom discussion!

Hope you are well. It's seventy degrees here, and I now live in a swing state, so I have little to complain about. ;)

4 comments:

These blogs are the contemporary equivalent of teachers' journals from the 19th century, journals that have been the basis for some wonderful social history. I agree that someone needs to look at it, perhaps in an interdisciplinary way with an historian together with others.

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